Tuesday, April 29, 2014

TSA Travel Tip: TSA Pre✓™ Expands to Include Air Canada

Today’s travel tip: If you’re an Air Canada passenger,
you might want to read this

TSA Pre✓™
expanded today to include eligible customers of Air Canada, the first international
carrier to participate.

TSA Pre✓™
operations are now available at more than 115 airports
nationwide, with more than 40 of those locations offering expedited screening
to Air Canada customers.

In
case you haven’t heard, TSA Pre✓™ is an expedited screening program
that allows pre-approved passengers to leave their shoes, light outerwear and
belts on. Through this program, passengers can also keep their laptops and 3-1-1 compliant
liquids/aerosols/gels in their carry-on bags.

Today’s announcement makes a total of 10 carriers that
participate in TSA Pre✓™
including: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines,
Hawaiian Airlines, Jet Blue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, US
Airways and Virgin America. TSA is working with additional international
carriers to join TSA Pre✓™ in the
future. Read
more about Air Canada’s participation in TSA Pre✓™.

I continue to wait for some justification for active duty military being included in pre-check, but not retired military or holders of current DoD or LE background investigations. military retirees have at least 20 years documented service to this Nation, pretty much proving their lack of risk. both DoD and LE background investigations should reveal any risk factors. active duty military do not, necessarily, have a background check or any significant length of service. neither citizenship nor a background investigation is required to enlist in the military, in fact there are likely illegal immigrants serving. if it is really about safety, then why are potentially unscreened non-citizens allowed through? sounds like it is just pandering to an admirable group to get PR, not adjusting the rules to ease screening on those who present a lower likelihood of threat.Let me be clear: pre-911 screening should be the norm. it is all that is required, now that cockpit doors have been reinforced and locked, and flight crews and passengers know that the rules have changed and passivity=death. however, if we are going to continue this massive waste of tax dollars on security theatre, at least have _some_ of the rules make sense.

To answer the question about active duty being given Precheck access is a simple answer. The DoD is giving TSA the permission to access their systems in order to allow these members to gain Precheck screening. I guarantee you that if the armed forces member does not have a valid clearance or there is an issue with their file (article 15, under investigation, etc.) they will not be getting Precheck screening. The fact that retired members of the DoD do not get Precheck status is an issue and concern that should be brought to the DoD. It is their system that TSA is utilizing to gain these members access. Citizenship is not a requirement to become a member of the armed forces, true. However, all members of the armed forces have some form of security clearance. Also, I do believe that citizenship is no longer a requirement to be a part of Precheck anyway.

Anonymous said...To answer the question about active duty being given Precheck access is a simple answer. The DoD is giving TSA the permission to access their systems in order to allow these members to gain Precheck screening. I guarantee you that if the armed forces member does not have a valid clearance or there is an issue with their file (article 15, under investigation, etc.) they will not be getting Precheck screening. The fact that retired members of the DoD do not get Precheck status is an issue and concern that should be brought to the DoD. It is their system that TSA is utilizing to gain these members access. Citizenship is not a requirement to become a member of the armed forces, true. However, all members of the armed forces have some form of security clearance. Also, I do believe that citizenship is no longer a requirement to be a part of Precheck anyway.

April 30, 2014 at 7:45 AM..................

OK, support your claims.

If it is as simple as you claim then why hasn't TSA made such statements?

RB my "support" comes from something called common sense. I have worked for both the military and the federal government and I know how things run. One agency or department cannot access files and information from another unless they have rights and permission to do so. TSA has always called all their interactions with DoD and precheck a “partnership”. Therefore DoD is allowing TSA access to their systems in a controlled manner to grant military members access. The TSA can only so what other agencies allow them to do with information. TSA is not going to post on their blog that they aren’t doing something because a certain agency won’t give up that information. That would be bad for any “partnership”. If people would open their eyes and take of the automatic hate blinders they can see that a lot of things going on make sense and there is some kind of logic to it. For better or worse the government does not work like a standard business. A lot of pieces have to be put in place before good change can be made. I am certain that in a few more years 75-85% of all airport screening will be precheck style screening.

Anon sez - "Why is this not the standard level of screening for all passengers, Curtis/West/other bloggers?"

TSA is currently moving away from a one size fits all security system by implementing risk based security programs (like Global Entry, Pre check and Known Crew Member). At this point, the policies are changing, but the security paradigm and analysis by the security and intel gurus at HQ are currently contrary to sending all passengers through screening like TSA Pre Check (as evidenced by the press releases and posted guidelines).

While I (and TSA HQ according to the websites and press releases) view the RBS initiatives as a positive step forward, it is not the direction of screening for all people at this moment. That may change some day, but it is not what the press releases and TSA pages are indicating now.

West said, "At this point, the policies are changing, but the security paradigm and analysis by the security and intel gurus at HQ are currently contrary to sending all passengers through screening like TSA Pre Check (as evidenced by the press releases and posted guidelines).

Press releases and posted guidelines are not valid reasons to treat flyers like criminals and terrorists. Real "security and intel gurus" have starred for years that many or all of TSA's procedures are ineffective and do not increase airport security.

Please provide proof that everyone who doesn't submit to your precheck exhortion scheme must be abused.

TSA has stated in court documents that terrorists are not trying to take over planes in the US. Are you calling them liars, West?

Blogger GSOLTSO said...Anon sez - "Why is this not the standard level of screening for all passengers, Curtis/West/other bloggers?"

TSA is currently moving away from a one size fits all security system by implementing risk based security programs (like Global Entry, Pre check and Known Crew Member).

West, Please provided evidence of any actual risk analysis that has been done. One's background check today does not predict one's behavior tomorrow.

The REAL reason for this programs is that it shuts (some) people up, since they get a chance at expedited screening. The reason you're moving away from using the Pre- lanes for non-Pre- members is because it's starting to make people with money grumble about the TSA again.

PreCheck standards should be those applied to all unless a clear justification for secondary screening appears. These are the standards adopted successfully in international airports.

Since you refuse to consider PreCheck for those of us who live abroad (with the exception of cherry-picked Global Entry countries), I can enter the US with reasonable, Pre-style screening standards, but am submitted to ridiculous foreigners-must-be terrorists standards when leaving the country.

When does the TSA plan to enact mandatory precheck payment, secret background checks, and FBI fingerprinting?

How many people have been denied precheck due to having a disagreement with a TSA screener?

How many people have been denied precheck due to publicly disagreeing with the TSA?

How many people have been denied precheck due to having a disagreement with an airline employee? (You do know, blotter team, that TSA is allowed by its own rules to deny precheck to someone who had a disagreement with a private company employee?)

Wondering if this comment will be approved by a government employee on a government website?

Anonymous said..." I am certain that in a few more years 75-85% of all airport screening will be precheck style screening."...at a cost of $8 billion per year. Worth it?May 1, 2014 at 4:47 PM___________________________________

Eight Billion Dollars annually now but wait theres more....

TSA pushed for and got an increase in the TSA security fees paid with the purchase of airline tickets. That fee is more than doubling thanks to TSA.

If TSA is what this money is buying then the public is getting ripped off.

Anonymous said... To answer the question about active duty being given Precheck access is a simple answer. The DoD is giving TSA the permission to access their systems in order to allow these members to gain Precheck screening. I guarantee you that if the armed forces member does not have a valid clearance or there is an issue with their file (article 15, under investigation, etc.) they will not be getting Precheck screening. The fact that retired members of the DoD do not get Precheck status is an issue and concern that should be brought to the DoD. It is their system that TSA is utilizing to gain these members access. Citizenship is not a requirement to become a member of the armed forces, true. However, all members of the armed forces have some form of security clearance. Also, I do believe that citizenship is no longer a requirement to be a part of Precheck anyway. ----------------------------------1) you are missing the point. Pre[check] is supposed to be based on reduced risk. allowing active duty to use Pre[check], when there is no evidence supporting a reduction of risk (and even some evidence that could indicate higher risk), makes no sense. and 2) you claim to know 'how things work', but you are 100% incorrect about security clearance. every incoming recruit gets a NAC, but that just means they run your name through the national agency databases (like FBI) to look for wants/warrants/etc. it is not a background investigation, and does not result in granting of a clearance or access. the vast majority of Army enlistees fall into this category, and smaller numbers in the other Services. simply being active duty means squat regarding your level of risk.

Something has been missing from the public press releases and website information concerning AirCanada's participation in TSA PreCheck. It appears a panacea in that AC issues boarding passes with the PreCheck notation, for flights from and to the US. However, just having that legend does not permit you to use PreCheck from a Canadian airport. I know this because I experienced it yesterday. An additional requirement is that you have a Global Entry card. I received my GE in 2011, before these cards were issued. My wife got hers about 18 months later, and she has a Global Entry card. We were traveling together and both boarding passes said TSA PreCheck. However, only she (because she had a card) was permitted by the Canadian TSA (CATSA) to use expedited screening. I protested and even talked to a supervisor, but CATSA said that the US TSA has instructed them that only those with GE cards can use it.

I tried to address this with TSA contacts today. The first agent I got told me that you can't use PreCheck from Canada because, well of course, it's Canada, and the TSA is only in the US. I knew for a fact that you could, because my wife did it yesterday. I asked to be escalated to a supervisor, and she initially also argued that there was no PreCheck for people coming from Canada to the US. However, after some more explaining and discussion, she understood my point (but could not do anything about it). She did give me a contact# at Customs and Border Protection.

That conversation was a little more illuminating. It does appear true that you must have a GE card to use TSA PreCheck to cross from Canada or Mexico into the US. I believe it may be the case that it is the only thing required to cross, not even a passport being needed (but don't quote me on that). The only way for me to get the GE card I need is to request a 'replacement' (for a card I never had), which includes an application fee and another trip to a CBP office. This was preferable to being without a GE card for another 3 years, when my GE must be renewed.

I would be very interested in the response from TSA folks about this situation. Certainly, this situation needs more clarity in communication.